Automatic loom shuttle



y 9 H. E. FOSTER 2,353,611

AUTOMATIC LOOM SH/UTTLE Filed Nov. 18, 1942 INVENTOR. HARRY E. FOSTER ATTORNEY Patented July 11, 1944 AUTOMATIC LOOM SHUTTLE Harry Earl Foster. Atlanta, Ga, assignor to Draper Corporation, Hopedale, Mass. a corporation of Maine Application November 18, 1942, Serial No. 466,949

4 Claims.

The present invention relates to automatically threading loom shuttles and, as illustrated herein, relates more particularly to means for preventing unthreading of the shuttle.

Automatically threading loom shuttles are provided with threading blocks having thread passages therein which communicate with the side delivery eye of the shuttle. It has been common practice to provide such passages with overhangs, guard and other devices to prevent the shuttle from becoming unthreaded during operation of the loom. Many of these devices have satisfactorily prevented unthreading of the shuttle but have been so fragile that they have become broken during operation of the loom or, in other cases, the devices have interfered with the threading of the shuttle and have thus been unsatisfactory.

An object of the present invention, accordingly, is to provide a simple and sturdy device which will permit ready threading of the shuttle and which will effectively prevent the shuttle from becoming unthreaded. As illustrated, the thread trapping means of the present invention comprises a resilient member which cooperates with the depending horn of the threading block to permit a filling thread to be guided between the horn and the resilient member and into an opening between the horn and the body of the block, the filling thread thereby being trapped in said opening and prevented from moving upwardly out of the side delivery eye during operation of the loom.

With the above and other objects and features in View, the invention will now be described with particular reference to the accompanying drawing which illustrates a preferred embodiment of the invention and in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the end portion of a shuttle having the invention applied thereto;

Fig. 2 i a view similar to Fig. 1 but showing the shuttle in front elevation;

Fig. 3 is a view on a somewhat enlarged scale of a portion of a threading block having the present invention applied thereto; and

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the threading block.

The shuttle l shown in the drawing may be of the usual automatically threading type. The shuttle is provided with a bobbin receiving cavity l2 and a recess 54 for receiving a threading block I 6 which is held in position in the recess by means of the usual transversely extending screw [8. The shuttle I0 is also provided with the usual side delivery eye 20.

The threading block It may be of any usual type provided with a longitudinally extending thread passage 22 and a depending horn 24, the lower end. portion of which overlies the thread and guides it into the side delivery eye 29 during the weaving operation. The threading block l5, as illustrated, also includes an outwardly extending horn or nose 25, the outer end of which terminates in a groove 28 formed in the shuttle 10 to form a trap for preventing unthreading of the shuttle in before it is completely threaded.

The depending horn 24 is formed as a part of the nose 26 and is provided with a guiding surface 39 under which the filling thread passes to the side delivery eye 29. The threading block it thus far described is of usual construction. The tip end of the shuttle may be cut away to form a thread groove 32. The construction is such that the filling thread will be drawn from the bobbin or filling thread carrier E l-and will enter the groove 32 on the first pick following replenishment. During this first pick the filling thread will also be guided into the thread passage 22 and under the horn or nose 26. During the next or return pick of the shuttle, the filling thread will be drawn down into a thread passage 36 and into the side delivery eye 20. Thus the shuttle is completely threaded at the end of the first .two picks following replenishment.

Th thread trap of the present invention is located in the thread passage 36 below the depending horn 2d and comprises a bent member 38 formed of fiat resilient material such, for example, as spring steel. The member 38 is provided with a substantially straight portion 4!] which underlies the thread block IS. The straight portion terminates in an upwardly and outwardly inclined portion 42 which terminates below the tip of the depending horn 25. The lower end portion o f-the horn 24 is cut away slightly at 44, as shown best in Fig. 3, to provide a substantially straight portion which is parallel to the reversely bent portion 46 of the member 38 which terminates just below the top end of the cut away portion M of the horn 24. The straight surface of the horn 24 is slightly spaced from the reversely bent portion 45 of the member 38. Thus the thread may enter between the horn 24 and the member 35 and will be guided into the opening to without substantially deflecting the member 38.

The trap member 38 may be secured to the bottom surface in any suitable manner. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, however, it is shown as being seated against the bottom of the recess I 4 and clamped thereagainst by engagement with the bottom surface of the threading block 18. It is apparent, however, that the trap member 38 may be permanently secured to the threading block l6, if so desired.

With the above construction, the filling thread on the second pick following replenishment will engage the reversely inclined portion 46 of the trap member 38 and will be guided upwardly between the portion 46 and the horn 24. After the filling enters the opening 48, it is effectively trapped therein. The overlapping of the horn 24 and the inclined portion 46 of the trap member 38 prevents the looping or swirling filling thread from being cast out of the opening 48. Thus the filling thread cannot move upwardly out of the side delivery eye and through the thread passage 36 tounthread the shuttle during operation of the loom.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. An automatically threading loom shuttle having a side delivery eye, a threading block forming a side threading passage to said side delivery eye, a horn extending downwardly from said block and having a point under which the filling thread passes during threading of the shuttle, a thread guiding surface between the point of the horn and the body of the threading block under which the filling thread passes, and a thread trap in the opening between the point of the horn and the body of said threading block, said trap comprising a member formed of resilient material and having a portion extending longitudinally of the shuttle and fixed to the threading block, a portion extending upwardly and terminating below the point of the horn, and a reversely bent portion extending upwardly from the upwardly extending portion and overlapping a' portion of said guiding surface to permit the filling thread to pass between said reversely bent upwardly extending portion and said guiding surface and to enter said opening during threading of the shuttle, said trap being arranged to prevent upward movement of the filling thread out of said side delivery eye during operation of the loom.

2. An automatically threading loom shuttle having a side delivery eye, a threading block forming a side threading passage to said side delivery eye, a horn extending downwardly from said block and having a point under which the filling thread passes during threading of the shuttle, a thread guiding surface between the point of the horn and the body of the threading block under' wh ch the filling thread passes, and a thread trap in the opening between the point of the horn and the body of said threading block, said trap comprising a member formed of resile ient material and having a portion extending longitudinally of the shuttle and fixed to the threading block, a portion extending upwardly and terminating below the point of the horn, and a reversely bent portion extending upwardly from the upwardly extending portion and spaced 7 slightly from and overlapping a portion of said guiding, surface to permit the filling to pass between said reversely bent portion and said guiding surface without substantially flexing said trap member to permit the filling thread to enter said opening during threading of the shuttle, said trap being arranged to prevent upward movement of the filling thread out of said side delivery eye during operation of the loom.

3. An automatically threading loom shuttle having a side delivery eye, a threading block forming a side threading passage to said side deliver eye, a horn extending downwardly from said block and having a point under which the filling thread passes during threading of the shut- .tle, a thread guiding surface between the point of the horn and the body of the threading block under which the filling thread passes, and a thread trap in the opening between the point of the horn and the body of said threading block, said trapcomprising a member formed of resilient material and having a portion extending longitudinally of the shuttle and fixed to the threading block, a portion extending upwardly and terminating below the point of the horn, and a reversely bent portion extending upwardly from the upwardly extending portion and spaced slightly from and overlapping a portion of said guiding surface to permit the filling to pass between said reversely bent portion and said guiding surface without substantially flexing said trap member, the portion of said reversely bent portion located below the point of the horn being arranged to guide the filling thread into the space between said guiding surface and said reversely bent portion and into said opening during threading of the shuttle, said trap being arranged to prevent upward movement of the filling thread out of said side delivery eye during operation of the loom.

4. An automatically threading loom having a side delivery eye, a threading block forming a side threading passage to said side delivery eye, a horn extending downwardly from said block and having a point under which the filling thread passes to the side delivery eye, a thread guiding surface between the point of the horn and the body of the threading block, under which the filling thread passes, and a thread trap formed of flat spring wire for closing the opening between the point of the horn and the body of the shuttle, said trap comprising a substantially straight section fixed in position relatively to the threading block and extending longitudinally of the shuttle, an upwardly extending portion terminating substantially below the point of the horn, and a reversely bent portion extending upwardly from said upwardly extending portion and overlapping 'a portion of said guiding surface adjacent to said point of the horn and terminating close to a shoulder formed on said guiding surface, said reversely bent portion being arranged to guide the filling thread into said opening and arranged to yield to permit the filling thread to pass between said reversely bent portion and said guide surface during threading of the shuttle and to prevent the filling thread from moving upwardly out of the side delivery eye during operation of the loom.

HARRY EARL FOSTER. 

